Who has to register on the PRS Database?

Every private residential landlord in England, whether an individual, joint owners, a limited company, a trust, or a non-resident landlord. Letting agents do not register in their own right; the legal owner is the registered landlord.

When does the PRS Database open?

Registration is phased. A voluntary window opens first, followed by mandatory registration by a deadline confirmed in ministerial order, and full enforcement after a transition period. The exact dates are published on gov.uk.

What does it cost to register?

The government has indicated the fee will be modest, covering administration rather than raising revenue. The Scottish equivalent charges roughly £75 plus £18 per property for three years. The English fee is likely to sit in a similar range, with the final figure confirmed by order.

What happens if I do not register?

Civil penalties of up to £40,000 per offence, rent repayment orders allowing tenants to reclaim up to 12 months of rent, banning orders for repeat offenders, and possession claims may be refused. Mortgage and insurance cover can also be voided.

Do I have to join the PRS Ombudsman as well?

Yes. Mandatory membership of the PRS Landlord Ombudsman scheme goes hand in hand with database registration. Tenants can lodge complaints with the Ombudsman, who can direct compensation of up to £25,000 per case.

PRS Database Registration 2026: What Landlords Must Do | PropReady

Q: Does the PRS Database replace HMO or selective licensing?

No. Both must be held in parallel with PRS Database registration. The database asks for your licence numbers as part of the property record. An unlicensed HMO is a separate offence from an unregistered property.

The Private Rented Sector Database is one of the most significant changes introduced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Every landlord in England must register, every property must be listed, and operating without a record is an offence. This guide explains what the database is, when it opens, what landlords must submit, and what happens if you ignore it.

What is the PRS Database?

The Private Rented Sector Database is a national register of landlords and private rented properties in England, established under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. It is run by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and accessible to local authorities, tenants, and central government for enforcement, research, and complaint handling.

In simple terms, the database does for landlords roughly what the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does for car owners. Every property must be registered to a legal landlord entity. Every landlord must hold an active registration. If the property changes hands, the record changes with it.

Who must register?

The registration duty applies to every private residential landlord in England. The Act defines a landlord broadly. If you own a property and let it to a residential tenant, you must register, whether you are:

An individual landlord with one property
A married couple who own a buy-to-let jointly
A family member who inherited a rented home and continued the tenancy
A landlord operating through a limited company
A trust or pension fund holding residential property
A non-resident landlord based overseas

Letting agents do not register in their own right. The legal owner of the property is the registered landlord. Agents can act on the landlord's behalf for administration, but the duty to register belongs to the owner.

What about social and council housing?

The database covers the private rented sector only. Local authority housing, registered social landlords, and properties let to family members rent-free are out of scope. Holiday lets, serviced accommodation, and short-term lets booked through platforms like Airbnb sit in a separate regime and are not covered by the PRS Database.

When does it open?

The PRS Database opens in phases. The government has confirmed registration will begin in 2026, with full enforcement following a transitional period. Landlords should expect the following timeline:

Phase 1: Voluntary registration window. Landlords can register early without penalty. This phase exists to spread load on the database and let landlords get familiar with the system before it becomes mandatory.
Phase 2: Mandatory registration. All existing tenancies must be registered by a deadline confirmed by ministerial order. Any new tenancy granted after that date must be registered before the first day of the tenancy.
Phase 3: Full enforcement. Local authorities can issue civil penalties for unregistered properties. Tenants can take rent-repayment-order action against unregistered landlords. Section 8 possession claims may be struck out where the property is not on the register.

The exact dates for each phase will be published on gov.uk. Subscribers to PropReady get automatic alerts when the dates are confirmed and when the registration deadline approaches.

What information must you submit?

The registration form will ask for:

About you

Full legal name (or company name and registration number)
Service address (your own address for legal notices, not the rental property)
Contact email and phone
Proof of identity

About each property

Full address including postcode
Property type (house, flat, HMO, room in shared house)
Number of bedrooms and total floor area, where known
EPC band and certificate expiry date
Whether the property is currently let, vacant, or being marketed
Any local authority licence number (for HMO or selective licensing schemes)

About the tenancy, if let

Tenancy type (now defaulting to assured periodic, post Renters' Rights Act)
Tenancy start date
Rent and payment frequency
Deposit amount and scheme provider

The level of detail is significant but not punishing. Most of it should already be in your records.

What does it cost?

The government has indicated the fee structure will be modest, intended to cover the cost of running the database rather than raise revenue. Expect an annual registration fee per property, with a discount or cap for landlords with multiple properties. The exact figure has not yet been confirmed at the time of writing.

For context, the equivalent scheme in Scotland (the Scottish Landlord Register) charges approximately £75 per landlord plus £18 per property, valid for three years. The English fee is likely to sit in a similar range, although final figures may differ.

What happens if you do not register?

Operating without registration is a serious offence. The penalties stack:

Civil penalty up to £40,000 per offence, issued by the local authority. Each unregistered property is a separate offence.
Rent repayment orders. Tenants can apply to the First-tier Tribunal to recover up to 12 months of rent paid to an unregistered landlord.
Banning orders. Repeat offenders can be banned from letting property at all.
Section 8 possession blocked. A court may refuse to grant possession to a landlord who is not properly registered, even where the underlying ground is valid.
Mortgage and insurance complications. Most buy-to-let mortgage products and landlord insurance policies require compliance with all applicable licensing and registration regimes. Operating outside the law puts cover at risk.

The database is searchable by local authorities, so unregistered properties will be visible the moment a council runs a check, a tenant complaint comes in, or an EPC lapses on the register.

How does this interact with HMO and selective licensing?

The PRS Database does not replace existing HMO licensing or local selective licensing schemes. Both must be held in parallel. The database asks for your licence numbers as part of the property record, so the systems cross-reference each other.

If you operate an HMO without a licence, the licence offence stands independently of the database offence. You can be fined twice for the same property: once for the missing licence, once for the inaccurate database record.

The PRS Ombudsman

Registration on the database goes hand in hand with mandatory membership of the new PRS Landlord Ombudsman scheme. Tenants can lodge complaints with the Ombudsman about service, repairs, and conduct, and the Ombudsman can direct compensation of up to £25,000 per case. The Ombudsman uses the database to verify landlord identity.

The Ombudsman fee will be charged separately, paid annually. Membership is mandatory regardless of how many properties you hold.

What to do now

The database is not yet open, but you can prepare today:

Get your records in order. Confirm the legal owner of each property, the current EPC band and expiry, deposit scheme details, and any local licence numbers.
Set up an audit trail. Every registration submission, fee payment, and update should be logged with a timestamp and a saved confirmation.
Decide who handles registration. If you use a letting agent, agree in writing whether they will register on your behalf. The legal duty stays with you regardless.
Watch for ministerial orders. The deadlines will be confirmed by statutory instrument. PropReady tracks every order and notifies subscribers when dates change.
Budget the fee. Build the annual registration cost and Ombudsman fee into your rent calculations for the next financial year.

The PRS Database is the largest administrative change for English landlords since deposit protection was introduced in 2007. Treat it the same way: get registered early, keep your records accurate, and store the proof.

City-specific licensing and HMO context

Your PRS Database record will cross-reference your HMO and selective licence numbers. For city-specific guidance on the licensing systems that feed into the database, see:

This article is general guidance, not legal advice. The PRS Database commencement dates and fee structure are subject to ministerial order and may change. PropReady provides registration reminders and a compliance audit trail for every property you hold.

PRS Database Registration: A Complete Guide for UK Landlords